Mottled and streaked below, setting off the white throat; prominent, widely spaced ear tufts. The legs and feet are thickly feathered with only the talons exposed. The eyes are large and yellow.

Sexes are similar, although females tend to be larger and more heavily marked.

Coloration varies both individually and regionally. Birds in the east tend to be more richly colored with orangish facial discs. Those from the far north and desert areas are paler with gray faces. Birds from the far West and from tropical areas are the darkest, with dark reddish facial discs.

The largest of American "eared" owls, the Great Horned is exceeded in size only by the rare Great Gray Owl. It is the largest and best known of the common owls.

Habitat The Great Horned Owl is found in a greater variety of habitats than any other owl. It inhabits deciduous forests, coniferous forests up to about 11,000 feet, swamps, coastal mangroves, rocky desert canyons, and even city parks.

Diet The Great Horned Owl preys on a wide variety of creatures, including grouse and rabbits as well as beetles, lizards, frogs, and birds, including crows, ducks, and other owls. On occasion, it even captures skunks.

Occasionally, when Great Horned Owls kill more prey than they can eat, they cache the remains for later use. Great Horned Owls will incubate frozen food until it thaws and can be eaten.

Nesting In late fall and early winter, the low muffled hooting of a Great Horned Owl may carry great distances, signaling that males are beginning to occupy breeding territories. Males and females sometimes sing duets. It is one of the first birds to nest, laying its eggs as early as late January, even when there is still snow on the ground.

2 or 3 white eggs on the bare surface of a cliff or cave or even on the ground; in the East it most often appropriates the unused stick nest of a heron, hawk, or crow.

The development of young Great Horned Owls is prolonged over many months. After nearly one month, helpless chicks hatch, clad in white, eyes closed.

Although the nestlings are unable to fly for ten to twelve weeks, they begin venturing out onto nearby branches after about six weeks. Because fledglings remain dependent on their parents for food until fall, their harsh begging calls may be heard throughout the summer.

Range It has a vast range, from just south of the Arctic tundra in Canada to the pampas of South America.

Great Horned Owls in North America reach their highest population densities in eastern Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and southern Saskatchewan, where grassland meets forest.

They are less common in mountainous regions and in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.

Voice Series of low, sonorous, far-carrying hoots, hoo, hoo-hoo, hoo, hoo, with second and third notes shorter than the others.

May 2008

May 28, 2008 ~ This big guy swooped across the driveway and landed in the pines across the street. Much to the consternation of many other birds. The chirping was frantic and robins were dive-bombing him, but the only thing that made him take flight was a passing car.

It was fun to watch him sitting and slowly turning his head to keep a watch on all the bird activity and chattering that his presence was creating, not to mention the dive-bombing robins.